‘Not Always Possible’: Eagles Could Have Hard Time Retaining Javon Hargrave

Nick Farabaugh |

Updated: Feb 28, 2023

INDIANAPOLIS — Javon Hargrave is proving himself to be one of the best defensive tackles in all of football, and make no mistake about it, his market value continues to soar and plenty of teams will be interested.

So, with the Eagles coming off a Super Bowl loss and having a number of free agents, Hargrave could come at a steep price. Philadelphia has overhauled its coaching staff with the loss of https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/1630661718249447432?s=20″>Shane

Steichen and Jonathan Gannon with Brian Johnson and Sean Desai as their coordinators after both took head coaching jobs.

So, where does Hargrave stand after playing in his first Super Bowl? Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni hopes to have him back, but it is no guarantee that Hargrave ends up back in the City of Brotherly Love for the 2023 season.

“He’s awesome,” Sirianni said. “That guy’s been a big part of this team for the past three years. He is a big-time player, and obviously, you want all of your guys back. You want all your guys back because you went through a special journey together. I know that loss will stick with us. Javon, just being around him every day at practice, he’s an awesome guy to be around. He’s a great teammate, a quiet leader, and a great player. So, you want to try to get as many guys back as you can, but you know that’s not always possible. Howie (Roseman) will do what he feels is best for the team, and I’ll have my input. And we’ll see what happens. But I love Javon Hargrave.”

The Steelers have a need for at defensive tackle, but Hargrave could get as much as $20 million per year. They are not swimming in cap space, even if they clearly want to focus on the trenches. So, if they want to make a massive splash, a reunion with Hargrave could be something to explore.

Hargrave played with the Steelers from the time he was drafted in 2016 through 2019. He then departed to Philadelphia. Now, Hargrave could be on the move again. However, is it possible that it could be simply a trip back across the state? It seems to me to be unlikely thanks to the pure figures, but it could be something to watch.